Does Racism Affect Police-Community Relations? Black Chief Says No

Philadelphia’s police commissioner, who’s Black, rejected a report released on Monday that said police racial bias was instrumental in the controversial arrest of two Black men at Starbucks in April. However, many studies point to implicit bias as an ongoing policing problem.

“The goal for us was to help everyone understand that issues can be nuanced and tinged with race, or affected by race and racism, and the Police Department, often, is the person at the front lines of all of our issues,” said Hans Menos, executive director of the commission.

That didn’t go over well with Philadelphia Commission Richard Ross, who pointed out in a statement that his department bans racially biased policing.

“We can agree that biases, whether implicit or explicit, may distort the fears and perception of some citizens who call the police to report crimes,” he stated, shifting the blame to citizens who call the police for help.

It shows officers arresting two Black men who did nothing wrong except decline to make a purchase while they waited for a business associate to arrive. When they refused to leave, a store manager called the police, who led them out of the store in handcuffs. No charges were filed, and Starbucks profusely apologized for the incident. Starbucks also closed its stores in May for an afternoon of employee anti-bias training.

Studies have determined that suspicion and fear of Black men underpin police brutality and make for disproportionate arrests. Unconsciously, white people perceive Black men as larger and more threatening than white men of the same build, according to the American Psychological Association.

Stereotypes of Black men as habitual criminals and dangerous people are reinforced through the media, the American Bar Association said. A national survey found that whites overestimated the percentage of Blacks involved in burglaries, drug sales and juvenile crime by up to 30 percent.

Police officers bring those attitudes with them, often unconsciously, when policing Black communities. Police departments across the nation are struggling to help their officers eliminate their bias.

1. Kanye's meeting with Trump

Kanye West is discussing a variety of topics with Pres. Trump in the Oval Office, including, but not limited to: American manufacturing, mental health awareness, a bipolar disorder diagnosis that another doctor subsequently refuted and a new design for Air Force One. pic.twitter.com/yB7ShiWEFm

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14. President Trump Hosts Kanye West And Former Football Player Jim Brown At The White House

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16. President Trump Hosts Kanye West And Former Football Player Jim Brown At The White House

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Continue reading Videos Of Kanye West In The Oval Office Confirm Just How Deep He Has Sunken

Videos Of Kanye West In The Oval Office Confirm Just How Deep He Has Sunken

[caption id="attachment_3831286" align="alignnone" width="767"] Source: Pool / Getty[/caption]
The artist formerly known as Kanye West -- just call him "Ye," he tweeted -- visited the president in the Oval Office on Thursday and waxed poetic on everything from the criminal justice system to his merchandising deal with Adidas to, yes, that MAGA hat he insisted on wearing.
Some of his notable quotes during the controversial visit included some that were of the nonsensical variety, USA Today reported.
"My dad and my mom separated so there was not a lot of male energy in my home and also I’m married to a family where, you know, there’s not a lot of male energy," he told Trump while a gaggle of journalists were looking on along with former NFL player Jim Brown and singer-turned-failed Republican candidate Kid Rock. "It’s beautiful, though.”
The 10-minute diatribe he delivered while face-to-face with the president including a series of curses, his cellphone's [no longer] secret code and hints at a future in politics. He also gave some love to first daughter Ivanka Trump.
It's no secret how much Kanye says he cares for and admires the president, whose MAGA hat that was introduced on the campaign trail in 2016 has become the rapper's go-to fashion statement. He was fresh off a Saturday Night Live performance two weeks ago that included another multi-minute spiel about how much he worships the president.
However, seeing is believing. Our words can't do Thursday's meeting the true justice it deserves, so just watch the below videos, mixed in with photos from the White House, and make whatever conclusion you need to.